CNC 3D Carving test – Skateboard Mold

January 22nd, 2012 by otto_pjm

Carving a skateboard mold prototype in foam. The mold itself will be made of laminated lumber to support the pressing process. This test was to determine what bit and step over (the overlap of each pass of the bit) would achieve sufficient detail, and not require too much finish sanding. The process and pattern for finishing is like an ink jet printer, but it cuts each pixel in 3D.

It may not be readily apparent in the photos of the carving, but the board has pretty complex compound curves. I’ll include a shot of the model which illustrates this better after the break.This is a shot of the roughing pass being completed. The test chunk is about a 1/3 of the skateboard’s total length, and the foam was a bit undersized so the board is a bit wider than what the foam could capture.

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Got a nice Rack?, Willing to share?

July 16th, 2011 by otto_pjm

As you may know the Hack Factory is expanding, and as such is in need of some storage racking, and key shop tools. The intention is to shop auctions for the best values on these items.

We hope to fund these items from donations as the organizations funds are committed to covering expansion related costs. So here’s where you come in. If you have any of the items Twin Cities Maker needs, and are willing to donate them that’s fantastic. please see the list of needs, at the details link, and fill in the form outlining what you have, and the logistics help needed to deliver or pickup the items.

If you are willing and able to donate funds to support purchasing these items please use the donation form in the details link

This expansion equipment drive is a targeted event to collect infrastructural equipment to support the expansion, it is not intended to equip the Hack Factory with a full set of tools but rather to pave the way for a variety of tools and activities. Think of this as the roads, gas and electrical infrastructure of a town, you need these first so that people can setup shop and get to work.

Adopt a tool details and donation page

Rewinding a transformer, and how not to.

July 4th, 2011 by otto_pjm

I am swapping out the driver boards on my CNC Router, and my existing power supply of 42 VDC is too high for the new drivers which include voltage regulators with a maximum voltage of 36 Volts. I rather liked my supply, just a big transformer, a bridge and a capacitor with bleed resistor, so I decided to try and keep it.

I started by seeing which of the windings I could get at easily, turned out none, was the answer. The Transformer is built with hundreds of “E” shaped plates that are fit together from opposite directions to form the transformers core, so with a bit a trepidation I removed the bolts and began to remove the “E” plates in search of a winding I could easily access.

After quite a bit of plate removal I was able to access the input (120V) windings, and after an poorly thought out whiteboard session I decided that was what I needed, reduce the input windings to bring the final voltage down.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Join Twin Cities Maker for Make Day at the Science Museum of Minnesota

May 14th, 2011 by otto_pjm

[Update]

The weather did not cooperate, so we were inside for Make Day 2011. It was still a great time, I took a few pictures, but the hall was a bit dark for my phone camera, hopefully someones got more and better shots, here a quick visual recap, with pre-work on the t-shirts and treb-Foshay tossed in.

Thanks for stopping by, and if you know a Maker type, please tell them about our Member Drive.

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Easter Making: Something a little different.

April 24th, 2011 by otto_pjm

I’m a bit of a curmudgeon about holidays, I enjoy the days themselves, it’s the hoopla around them I can do without. My wife on the other hand is all about the hoopla, the more the better, so this post is Anne’s edible Easter creation for 2011.

 

The whole coop of chicks

 

 

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Forming and Casting 10x parts

April 22nd, 2011 by otto_pjm

[UPDATE:] Hit the more link, for the latest molding and casting triumphs and failures.

Here’s the latest, my sincere thanks to Bil, Swinkdaddy, and Jude in particular for sharing their knowledge and helping me learn how to do this stuff.

LED bottom disc mold

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Wednesday Roundup

April 20th, 2011 by otto_pjm

Added some shots of the evening to the Flicker pool, including two of the rainbow I saw driving over, tried to get shot of it over the HackFactory, but it had clouded up by the time I got there.

Rainbow over Franklin Ave

Rainbow over Franklin Ave, enroute to the HF

More pictures here.

Or see the link on the right hand side.

Activities included thermoforming, playing with fire, talking and casting RTV, which I have no shots of. I also added the latest shots of some 10x components.

Pete

GGHC 10x model cutting

April 6th, 2011 by otto_pjm

We’ve been making progress on the Global Hacker Space Challenge components. There are lots of activities going on, on different aspects of the project, and we are exploring multiple methods to create many of the parts. This is an image of a test cut for the positives of some 10xed 3mm LEDs.

The video is of a cut that went not so well of a 10x ATMega chip. I had neglected to restore my backlash compensation settings after making some updates, and the Z-axis lost height through out the cut making a sloped chip, and turning chunks of my spoil board into fine powder.

Pete

Jr Locksport Enthusiast

March 19th, 2011 by otto_pjm

Just a normal weekend, Circus and lock picking.

Weekend Welding project

March 5th, 2011 by otto_pjm

Working on some upgrades for the TIG cart.

Video on Flickr

New Metal Storage

February 27th, 2011 by otto_pjm

A big thanks to Bil who scored a metal storage system that was being scrapped. I took the liberty of re-organizing the metal area to fit it in.

Pete

New metal storage rack

New metal storage rack

Wednesday Night Roundup – Montage

December 22nd, 2010 by otto_pjm

No people, no comments just a snapshot of the evenings stuff.

Wednesday Night Roundup

December 17th, 2010 by otto_pjm

In an effort to capture an overview of the projects going on at the Hack Factory and introduce some of the TC Makers who have had less online exposure due to being more stuff than bits people here is the first of a likely irregular series of the Wednesday Night Roundup.

In no particular order here are some of the people and projects happening on Wednesday December 15th. ( I took lots of pictures, most were bad, and a fair portion completely unusable hopefully things will go better next time, similarly I’m easily distracted and the HF is known for having not only lots of shinny objects, but also squirrels, so my understanding of the details, or even the general idea of the projects maybe incorrect )

In the Classroom / Lounge area:

Steve was starting on
an Arduino project
using input from a pneumatic ,
or perhaps hydraulic sensor.
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Jim was also
working on an
Arduino project,
he had mouse positional
information controlling
a servo with some high
tech coat hanger
apparatuses attached
to it.

The goal as I understand it
is to use visual feedback
to allow the servo to balance
the contraption.
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Experimenting with CNC Dovetails

December 5th, 2010 by otto_pjm

I’ve had a wizard to do Dovetail joints for awhile and never had a reason to use it until now. We need some drawers built for an odd sized cupboard, and as you may know the HF recently received a pallet or two of drawer sides as a donation. So it seemed like a good time to check out the wizard and try and make some drawers.

Here’s a shot of the setup,

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It’s kind of a pain as you need to operate on the edge of the board. I built my latest table in two pieces so I could do dovetails and put the 4th access I hope to build under that part of the frame.

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CNC Router Operator – Check-out class 12/12 9-Noon

December 4th, 2010 by otto_pjm

[Update]
Due to the weather the class will be rescheduled sometime in January. The User Guide is ready for review, I’m trying to figure out how to get it posted at the moment.

Who:
This class is primarily targeted at TC Maker member, who wish to use the CNC Router. The intent is to give practical step by step use and operation instruction. The public is welcome to attend, but due to the focus on one specific system and the time limitations general questions about CNC systems and tools will only be addressed as time allows.

What:
CNC Router user operation training class, allows you to use the router to work on your own projects

Where:
The HackFactory

When:
Sunday December 12th from 9:00 AM to Noon.

What you’ll need:
Nothing really, you may want to take notes, (I hope to have a rational step by step guide put together, but holes will certainly exist) also laptop’s (or classroom PCs) with design tools to create 2D or 3D object maybe useful. (formats such as EPS, dxf, stl, etc)

Non-members and those interested in CNC, but not wishing to run a CNC Router

I intend to have additional Cut, Turn and Burn classes in 2011, and these are the forum for general questions and will deal with the end to end process turning ideas into physical objects.

Pete

Cut, Turn, and Burn – Ideas to 3D objects, Sat. Oct. 16th

September 30th, 2010 by otto_pjm

Cut Turn and Burn Banner

A Class Featuring 3D Printing on the MakerBot, CNC Routing, CNC Lathe turning, and possibly Laser etching will be held on Saturday October 16th from 1-4 PM at the Hack Factory.

Please Register on Eventbrite so we can plan accordingly.

Bring your ideas, CAD files, pictures, and questions. The class is open to everyone. For non-members, a donation of $5 to cover materials is suggested. We will strive to make the class relevant to the interests of those present. The class will include an overview of basic creation of g-code files, (The instructions that the CNC systems understand) by various means in the classroom, and demonstrations of how the various systems interpret the g-code to produce objects.

The intention is to keep things as interactive and hands-on as possible, if you have electronic media with your ideas, pictures, cad files please bring them. If you have CAD software (anything that can produce a dxf file), Vector Graphics Software (Illustrator, Inkscape) or 3D Design software (anything that can produce an stl file) on a laptop bring it along.

We’ll do our best to get your ideas into your hands, please be aware that the materials, tools, tooling, and time available may not allow us to produce all items.

[Update] Pyrodogg, took some great pictures during the session, check the TC Maker flicker group for more.

Pete

Hacking Up a Laser CNC

September 3rd, 2010 by otto_pjm

We have been working on converting a CNC inspection machine into a CNC capable of using multiple tools.

CyberOptic CNC

The Y axis is only supported on one side, so the tools will need to be light unless, we can devise another support. At our last open house on Wednesday, we had a great hacker collaboration and not only got the machine to draw with a Sharpie, but trying some engraving with jtbarclay’s blueray burner. Here’s a shot of the engraving in progress.

Laser Engraving

Additional information can be found on our wiki: 3D Prototyper Project

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